Showerheads are generally connected to a source of water supply by a ball and socket connection or universal joint. The ball, in a conventional installation, is fixed to the end of a water supply line in a bathtub or shower enclosure.
This invention pertains to a device to be connected in fluid flow relation between the water supply line and a showerhead and which includes a valve means operable by a remote control operater handle for selectively opening and closing the flow path through a device portion and hence the water supply to the showerhead spray structure.
The instant invention includes a ball and socket connecter fitting, a tubular body portion and an elongated control operater with an enlarged protective hand grip, whereby the relative movement for opening and closing a valve means may be achieved by manipulation of a hand grip at the extended terminal end of the elongated operater, which is conveniently located remote from the shower spray.
Generally, individual hot and cold faucets or a single lever type of faucet is connected to hot and cold water pipe lines from a source of supply. The faucet or faucets must be manipulated to a proper hot and cold water mixture to achieve a desired water temperature. The mixed water then enters a single conduit to the showerhead where it passes through a discharge port in the connector ball and then outwardly in a spray form through any one of a variety of spray structures depending upon the maker of the spray head.
To adjust the direction of spray, a user must physically grasp any of the single or multiple outlet spray heads provided with the above-described ball and socket connections and turn it to a desired position.
Generally the water will be left running when users are lathering or washing their hair, wasting a measurable amount of water and energy to heat the water, or if a user desires to shut off the water supply while "soaping up" or shampooing his or her hair, the faucet or faucets must be turned off and then uncomfortably turn the hot and cold water back on again and readjust to a desired hot and cold water mixture for the rinsing-off operation. Particularly in relatively small bathtubs and shower enclosures, generally provided in most bathrooms, it is very difficult to avoid contact by the shower spray while soaping-up or shampooing the hair.
The device of the present invention provides an elongated remote control operater handle, generally in the form of a rod, with an enlarged protective hand grip on the extended terminal end, with an inner end fixed relative to the device in a manner so as to permit rotational movement thereof to permit a user to shut off or turn on the water flow through the device and to universally position the showerhead spray. The connection of the elongated control handle to the tubular body is formed in a manner so as to provide rotational shut-off valving means, when the valve structure by means of the extended operater handle, is turned to a position wherein the tubular body flow through path is closed by the control handle valve portion. This is accomplished without upsetting the hot and cold water mixture, and a user need only to rotate the valve control operater handle to first and second position to shut the water off, and to turn the water on again. The faucet or faucets need no further manipulations and, if desired, a user or users need never operate the faucet or faucets to off positions. The water flow may be shut off by means of the adapter and on each subsequent use, the adapter may be manipulated to an "on" position and immediately provide water of the desired temperature previously regulated.
Therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a water flow control device, including a valve structure therein, operable through on and off zones in a predetermined range of movement by an operater control handle means, to selectively open or close a water flow path therethrough, when the valve structure is rotated to an "on" position second zone, in said range of movement, and to turn off the flow of water when said operater is turned to an "off" position first zone within the movement range.
Another principal object of this invention is to provide a generally downwardly extending operater handle means in the form of an elongated extension rod diverging from an axial centerline through the tubular body thereof to permit a predetermined degree of universal manipulation of the direction of the spray dispersement.
Another object of the invention is to provide an "on" and "off" valve means completely independent of the faucet or faucets controlling the flow of hot and cold water from sources of supply.
A further object of the invention is to provide an enlarged protective hand grip control on an extended terminal end of the operater handle.